Website redesign for an accounting and tax firm in Nashville: budget, timeline and risks (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

When two Nashville practices merge, the cheapest-looking option, patching both old websites, rarely stays cheap: two hosting bills, two sets of fixes and a split brand add up over three years. A single redesigned site at USD 4,900 (Growth) or USD 8,900 (Premium) on the Kolonell grid, against roughly USD 15,000 to 45,000 for a local agency, can cost less than the patch route over 36 months while consolidating both domains. The work is mostly a two-domain migration, so the 301 map and the launch date outside tax season matter more than the visual design.

Why does a merger force the redesign question?

After a merger, clients search for both old names, staff email signatures point to two domains, and the service pages contradict each other on fees, software and specialties. In Nashville, where firms around downtown, the Gulch, Midtown and the Brentwood and Franklin suburbs often serve healthcare businesses, music and entertainment professionals and owner-managed companies, each legacy site tends to speak to a different client base. Typical signs that patching has reached its limit:

• Two "About us" pages with different partner lists and credentials.
• Two client portal links, one of them pointing to a system that is being retired.
• Duplicate service pages competing for the same searches, such as "bookkeeping Nashville" or "small business tax Nashville".
• No single page explaining the new firm name, which confuses referral partners.

What does it cost over three years: patch both sites or redesign one?

The figures below are a 2026 ballpark. Build prices come from typical agency quotes and public rate pages; every monthly figure is a market assumption, not a Kolonell price. Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months is on quote.

Kolonell Starter at USD 2,900 is usually too small for a merged firm with two content libraries. Every tier includes a project manager reachable in Central Time, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready and 3 months of support, as listed on the international offer page.

What the table does not show: the patch route keeps two brands alive, and the agency route usually includes workshops, photography and more design exploration. What stays on quote in every scenario: the client portal, secure document exchange, e-signature, and any link to practice management or QuickBooks/Xero-type software, which should be linked or embedded rather than rebuilt.

How do you merge two sites without losing search traffic?

Other risks deserve a line in the plan. Downtime: lower DNS TTL 48 hours before the switch and keep the old hosting for 30 days. Data: the FTC Safeguards Rule requires tax preparers to protect client data, so uploads stay inside your secure portal, never on a public form, and anti-money-laundering or identity checks remain the firm's own process. Accessibility: target WCAG 2.2 AA, since ADA Title III website claims are frequent. Email: keep CAN-SPAM basics on newsletters sent under the new name. This is not legal advice.

Timing: launch between May and August or in November. Never switch between January and April 15, and avoid the weeks before the September 15 and October 15 extension deadlines.

When is a local Nashville agency the better choice?

A merger is also a rebranding moment. If you need a new name, a full visual identity, signage and in-person workshops to align two partner groups, a Nashville agency with brand strategy capability can be worth USD 30,000 or more. The same applies if the merged firm wants a custom client dashboard. If the brand decision is already made and the job is to consolidate two websites into one clean site, a fixed grid is easier to budget.

Questions to ask any provider: how will you handle two Search Console properties, who decides which duplicate page survives, what happens to the old domain's email, and which items are on quote?

Mini case study

*Illustrative example.* Hale Tax Group and Cumberland Bookkeeping (both fictional) merge into Cumberland and Hale CPAs, a Nashville firm of 9 people. The old sites have 45 and 30 indexed pages.

• Inventory: 75 URLs, 23 duplicates or outdated pages retired with 301s, 52 pages on the new site.
• Kolonell Premium: USD 8,900.
• Third-party cost: independent brand designer for the merged logo, about USD 2,500.
• Market assumption for hosting and updates after the 3 included months: USD 150 per month (hypothesis; Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months on quote), so 33 x 150 = USD 4,950.
• Three-year total: 8,900 + 2,500 + 4,950 = USD 16,350, versus USD 15,200 for patching both old sites and keeping two brands.

For USD 1,150 more over three years, the partners get one domain, one portal link and one set of service pages. Launch is planned for the first week of June.

FAQ

Should we keep both domains after the merger?

Keep the old domain registered for at least 2 to 3 years and redirect it page by page. Each old URL should point to the closest page on the new domain.

How long does a merged-firm redesign take?

Plan 5 to 7 weeks: about 2 weeks for partners to settle duplicate pages and credentials, then 3 to 4 weeks of build at Kolonell.

Is patching the old sites ever the right call?

Yes, if the merger is not final or the brand decision is more than 6 months away. In that case, limit fixes to security and contact paths, roughly USD 1,000 to 2,000 with a freelancer.

What happens to two client portals?

The firm picks one portal; the new site links or embeds it, on quote. The retired portal URL should show a clear notice for at least 90 days.

Which tier fits a merged practice?

Premium at USD 8,900 suits two content libraries and a larger page count; Growth at USD 4,900 fits if the merged site stays under the page count set in the quote.

Let's scope your project. Send us both domains, your page counts and your target launch month, and we will return a fixed price on the USD 2,900 to 8,900 grid with the two-domain redirect plan included. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.